MLB Star Gets All-American Welcome After Proudly Becoming US Citizen

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez got a surprise from his teammates after he took a few days off to take the United States naturalization test.

Suarez was recruited out of Venezuela to play first for the Detroit Tigers and then the Reds, with stops at several other Major League Baseball teams before he returned to Cincinnati in February of 2026 — and he missed two games in early September to finally become a United States citizen.

His teammates responded by changing his walk-up song to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA (I’m Proud To Be An American).”

In his first at-bat since becoming a United States citizen, Eugenio Suárez’s teammates changed his walk-up song to “God Bless the USA (I’m Proud to Be an American)” ???????? pic.twitter.com/a1r8BOiGke

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 4, 2026

Suarez’s absence could have been a streak-breaker — he had just come off a hot month, hitting six home runs and driving in 20 in August. He’d also racked up an impressive .852 OPS (On-base Plus Slugging), and in a sport that thrives on streaks and slumps, taking two games off can be a lot to ask.

But the dates and times for citizenship testing aren’t decided based on what might be the most convenient for the person taking the test, and Suarez had no choice but to work with the schedule he was given.

Would his hot streak continue after a two-game hiatus? Suarez answered that question decisively, launching a three-run home run later that same game to put the Reds ahead — his second at-bat as a United States citizen.

Eugenio Suárez rockets the @Reds back in front ???? pic.twitter.com/TEqG6H68Os

— MLB (@MLB) September 5, 2026

And it didn’t stop there: the next day, Suarez scored from second base off a wild pitch.

Known speedster, Eugenio Suárez pic.twitter.com/gSG3QBqHj1

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 6, 2026

On FOX News’ “The Big Weekend Show” on Saturday, host Tomi Lahren drew a stark comparison between Suarez and former NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who made a name for himself in protest of the United States.

A number of media outlets, Lahren said, appeared to be more interested in “celebrating the tenth anniversary of Colin Kaepernick ruining sports and disrespecting our flag by taking a knee during the national anthem” than they did in patriotic players like Suarez.